10 Best Hackintosh Laptop 2018 [Experts Picked List]

Planning to buy a new laptop which can run the mac OS? If yes, then you are at the right place. With a research of more than 72 hours, our team has selected the best Hackintosh laptops for you. The first thing when it comes to buying a Hackintosh laptop is checking the laptop's compatibility for Hackintosh. You can't simply install the software and get started with using Mac OS on any laptop or PC. You need a decent configuration of a laptop in order to smoothly run the Hackintosh. Now the question comes is, what configuration do I need?

Recommended Configuration for a Hackintosh Laptop

Below you'll find the configuration recommended by TCB team for a laptop to run smoothly with Hackintosh. Kindly note that it's our personal recommendation and what we found best. It is not influenced by any factor! You can definitely buy a laptop with a higher configuration, it's all your personal choice.

Processor: For a low-end Hackintosh, you can go with theIntel Core i3 processor, but in order to run the machine smoothly and lag-free we would recommend you to buy a laptop with Intel i5 processor. With i5-8100, you get 6 cores and 2.80 GHz to 4.00 GHz max turbo frequency. But, it fine to have 7th generation too.

RAM: RAM stands for the Random Access Memory, it is something which is responsible for managing all the processes allotted by CPU. For a decent Hackintosh machine, we would recommend you to go with 8 GB of RAM if you are on a tight budget. But, if you can spend a little extra then 16 GB is always the best option available.

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Storage: Coming on to the storage, the laptop should have at least 500 GB HDD. But, we personally recommend you to go with a laptop which has an SSD storage type. SSD's are faster than HDD's and provide better performance.

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So this was just a basic overview of the configuration recommended for the best Hackintosh laptop. If you don't have time to read the complete post, you can simply go with our Editor's choice laptop.

Acer Aspire R 15

Review of 10 Best Hackintosh Compatible Laptops

1. Dell Inspiron 13 5000

Dell Inspiron 13 5000 is an amazing machine powered by Intel Core i7-8550U Quad-Core processor which offers speed up to 4GHz. With 10-finger multi-touch support, the laptop is an ideal deal for people looking to buy it for Hackintosh purpose. The 13.3 in Full HD IPS LED-backlit touchscreen display gives a remarkable work and gaming experience. For people who can't afford the expensive Apple laptops, this is really a powerhouse with an affordable price range.

The laptop is equipped with 256GB SSD storage which makes storing and data retrieval fun. SSD's are much faster than the HDD's and that's the reason Apple uses SSD in their laptops. Therefore, in order to buy a laptop for Hackintosh purpose, it is recommended to get a laptop with SSD. Talking about the portability of the laptop, it weighs only 3.72 pounds and comes with 3-cell lithium ion battery for a longer battery backup.

Along with this, the laptop comes with 8 GB DDR4 RAM which helps in multitasking and gives Mac-like experience in a windows laptop. The laptop has all the basic ports required for connectivity and also has a built-in HD webcam for doing video calls to your friends and family. Last but not the least, the laptop has Waves MaxxAudio Pro which gives its users unparalleled sound performance. With an affordable price range and a powerhouse of excellent hardware, this laptop is great for Hackintosh.

2. Acer Aspire R 15 - RECOMMENDED FOR HACKINTOSH

Acer Aspire R 15 is another great Hackintosh supported laptop which is powered by 7th generation Intel Core i7-7500U processor. With a speed of up to 3.5 GHz, the laptop is capable of handling all tasks smoothly like a Macintosh. The screen is the 15.6" Full HD multi-touch IPS display which gives you an ultimate viewing experience. Having a great display adds up to the beauty of Hackintosh and makes it very comfortable for the users. Coming on to the storage capacity of the laptop, it has 256GB SSD of storage capacity which is excellent for installing and running Mac OS smoothly.

The other thing which is super important for a Hackintosh compatible laptop is a good RAM. Thanks to the 12 GB DDR4 RAM which makes multitasking super easy. Most of the MacBooks have integrated graphics cards which sucks while doing graphic-intensive work like editing videos etc. With Acer R 15 you get, NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics card with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM. What could be best for Hackintosh than this laptop which is a powerhouse of specifications at an affordable price.

One thing which we personally like a lot about MacBooks is the lightweight and long battery life. With Acer Aspire R 15, you get up to 9 hours of battery backup and the laptop weighs around 4.74 lbs.

Note that, Acer Aspire R 15 is a laptop under the budget range of $800, but if your budget is under $700 you can check out the latest laptops under $700 budget.

3. ASUS VivoBook Pro Laptop

When it comes to buying a laptop with high-performance, multitasking capabilities, highly portable ASUS VivoBook Pro is the best-in-class. The laptop is powered by latest 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor for lag-free computing experience. The 16 GB of DDR4 RAM helps in running Mac OS super smoothly and also helps with multitasking. The RAM of the laptop is further expandable to 32 GB which will definitely be an add-on to the machine's power. The ultimate combo of RAM and Processor delivers all the power required for an effortless computing experience and also aids in Hackintosh installation.

The best part that we love about this laptop is the 17.3 inches Full HD Wide-View display. It comes with 72% NTSC color gamut for a richer, deeper and more accurate viewing experience. From USB Type-C to 3.0 and 2.0, the laptop has almost every port for seamless connectivity. Talking about the storage of the laptop, the ASUS VivoBook Pro is equipped with 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD storage combo. That's the best possible storage combo you'll see in a laptop with such an awesome price range. The keys at the keyboard are placed ergonomically with the backlit feature so that you can work comfortably even in low-light conditions.

With a 0.8” profile and weight of 4.6 lbs, the ASUS VivoBook Pro can be called as a portable powerhouse. Last but not the least, the battery of the laptop is a lithium-ion battery and comes with a fast charging feature. According to the company, the battery gets charged up to 60% capacity in just 49 minutes. With all the jaw-dropping features and an elegant design, the laptop is a great deal for people looking out to buy a new laptop for Hackintosh purposes.

4. ASUS VivoBook S410UN-NS74

The next laptop on our list of best Hackintosh laptop is the ASUS VivoBook S. If you are looking a thin and light-weight laptop with an affordable price range and some great specifications, then this laptop is for you. It features 8th generation Intel Core i7-8550U quad-core processor for faster performance and response time. It is equipped with 8GB DDR4 RAM which makes multitasking a piece of cake. To store all your important docs and software, the laptop comes with 256 GB of SSD storage which is faster and more reliable than any other older mechanical storage.

After doing a little survey with what kind of laptop people want for Hackintosh, we found that this was one of the most preferred laptops. Besides all the amazing specifications, it has an affordable price range which fits into every pocket. Coming on to the most-looked part of the laptop i.e. graphics card. With NVIDIA GeForce MX150 2GB graphics card, you feel the comfort of effortless computing.

The best part that we love about the laptop is its screen. The screen features 77% screen-to-body ratio which means that in a frame of size around 13.3 inches you get a 14-inch full-HD display. Along with an excellent display, there are many features like fingerprint sensor, a backlit keyboard which makes the laptop a steal deal for Hackintosh lovers. From USB Type-C to USB 3.0 the laptop has all the ports for seamless connectivity and lag-free computing experience.

5. Acer Aspire E 15

When it comes to buying a laptop with great battery life, the Acer Aspire E 15 is the best. With battery backup up to 15 hours, the laptop provides continuous lag-free computing experience. The laptop features 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor which offers a speed up to 4.0GHz. The 15.6 inches Full HD LED-lit IPS display let you do work seamlessly without giving any strain to your eyes. When it comes to buying a durable laptop, Acer is definitely a top player in the group.

Talking about the storage capacity of the laptop, it has 256 GB SSD which can be used to store all your important doc and softwares. One thing which we personally don't like about the laptop is its weight. The laptop weighs around 5.27 lbs and that's the only reason for buyers to reject this laptop. If you don't carry your laptop to different places, then it could be a great machine for you. The laptop also has 8 GB of dual channel RAM which helps in allotting the temporary memory to the processes allocated by CPU thus making multitasking as easy as eating a piece of cake.

The presence of NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM makes it a great laptop to use for photo editing. With all the amazing features and specs, the laptop is designed for a for a clean and smooth look without unnecessary lines. So, if you are looking to buy a laptop in $800 price range, then definitely check this out.

6. Dell XPS 15 9560 High-End Hackintosh Laptop

The Dell XPS 15 is one of the best-crafted laptops from Dell which comes with robust configuration and an adequate performance. The laptop is not only well-crafted but also well-engineered to meet the demand of modern work lifestyle. The laptop comes with 7th generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ quad-core processor for seamless performance and ultra productivity. The company is also bringing in the newer model i.e. the 8th generation model to meet the growing demand for this laptop.

When it comes to the storage, it has got 512 GB of SSD drive which gives you blazing fast data copying and retrieval speed. Multitasking with this laptop is like eating a piece of cake, thanks to the 16 GB DDR4 RAM which properly manage all the processes and gives you a lag-free playing or working experience. The best part about the Dell XPS 15 is the display of the laptop. It has 15.6-inch 4K Ultra HD infinity edge touch display which is capable of reproducing every color in the AdobeRGB spectrum.

The laptop is equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card which is great for playing mid-high level games. Also, the trackpad of the laptop delivers an unparalleled level of accuracy which makes the build quality of the laptop really appreciable. Talking about the ports, the XPS 15 offers a considerable amount of variety. From thunderbolt 3 multi-use port to two USB 3.0 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an HDMI port it just has enough room to connect all your laptop accessories. So what could be better than a 4K laptop with an excellent processor?

7. HP Touch 001546

HP has always been a durable brand for all type of customers. Whether you are looking to buy a laptop for Hackintosh or for gaming, there is a probability that HP has a laptop for you. The HP Touch 001546 laptop is powered by Intel Core i5-7200U processor which offers a clock speed of 2.50 GHz up to 3.10 GHz with turbo boost technology. Although there are laptops with 8th generation processor as we found with our research but this model works exceptionally well with Mac OS and is also quite affordable.

Talking about the display, it has 15.6 inches diagonal HD touchscreen display which is not as good as the screen of other competitors on the list and that's the only things which stop many buyers at the front end. But, if you are trying to buy a budget Hackintosh laptop then definitely go for it.

The laptop offers a good room of space for keeping your data. With a storage capacity of 128G SSD + 2TB HDD with 5400 RPM, you can store and install anything you want in your Hackintosh. Also, the laptop supports smooth multitasking, thanks to the 8GB DDR4 SDRAM which makes multitasking a piece of cake. With Windows 10 pre-installed and HD Audio with stereo speakers, the laptop is a great deal for people looking to buy a budget laptop for installing Mac OS.

8. Dell XPS 13 9360

Dell XPS 13 is the younger brother of XPS 15 (already mentioned on the list). Compared to XPS 15, the XPS 13 is less powerful but more portable. The laptop has 13.3 inches of FHD infinity edge touch display which makes you feel like if you are using an upgraded version of MacBook Air. The colors of the display are rich and deep to give you an adequate working experience. The laptop is powered by Intel 7th generation Kaby Lake i5 7200U dual-core processor which makes switching between tasks a fun. The laptop is also equipped with 8GB of LPDDR3 SDRAM to handle all the processes smoothly and give you an amazing lag-free computing experience.

The build quality of Dell XPS 13 is really appreciable. With almost all the ports for connectivity like USB 3.0, USB-C, Thunderbolt 3 via USB Type-C, Card Reader etc the XPS 13 is a great laptop for installing Mac OS. Coming on the graphics card, the XPS 13 is equipped with Intel HD Graphics 620 which is definitely not the best-in-class but it works fine if you don't have any graphics intensive work.

The best part about XPS 13 is that it doesn't drain battery like XPS 15. XPS 15 drains most of the battery because of the 4K display but that's not the case with XPS 13 and hence you get a longer battery backup. With a weight of just around 2.7 lbs and a long battery backup, this laptop is perfect for anyone looking to buy a great laptop.

9. ASUS ZenBook 13

The next laptop on our list is the ASUS ZenBook 13. The laptop comes with Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. It starts in seconds and keeps you going until you get tired. The laptop is built with a unique spun-metal finish and has Zen-inspired concentric circles which gives it an elegant look. The laptop weighs around 2.6kg which makes it possible to take it anywhere you want. The ZenBook 13 is specially made for work-centric people who not only work with docs but also use the laptop for animation or video editing purposes.

The laptop is equipped with 13.3 Inch Anti-glare Full-HD screen with a Wide View of up to 170 degrees. Working on an anti-glare display saves your eyes from harmful lights and gives you a smooth computing experience. The best part that we love about this laptop is the built-in fingerprint reader which you can use to get access to your laptop via Windows hello feature. With all the ports available on the ZenBook 13, it provides an extensive connectivity and seamless fast performance.

The sound experience on ZenBook 13 is also great, thanks to the ASUS SonicMaster technology which delivers crystal clear and smooth sound. Coming on to the graphics card, the laptop has NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card. You can use this for doing all sort of editing tasks and even playing medium-to-high level PC games. With an affordable price range and a bundle of features, this machine is definitely a good fit for Hackintosh.

10. LG Gram 13Z980-U.AAW5U1 (Best Battery Backup)

The last laptop on our list is the LG Gram 13Z980-U.AAW5U1. If you are planning to buy a laptop for Hackintosh under $1000, then this model from LG deserves your attention. It comes with Intel 8th Generation i5-8250U which is one of the latest processors in the market. The i5-8250U provides you an uninterrupted performance and offers a clock speed up to 3.40 GHz. The best thing that we love about the LG gram is its durability. The laptop passed seven industry-standard tests to proves its robust durability.

With a weight of just around 2 lbs and a battery backup of around 20 hours, the laptop in an ultimate portable powerhouse. You can take it anywhere you want without worrying about the battery. Along with the latest generation of processor, the laptop comes with 8GB of dual-channel DDR4 RAM for blazing fast speed. Talking about the graphics card, the laptop is built with Intel UHD Graphics 620 to handle almost all the graphics-intensive tasks like editing photos.

Shrouded with a metal alloy, the laptop looks quite elegant and provides a remarkable performance. Beside all the specs, the laptop features many more like back-lit keyboard, HD webcam and excellent speaker system. For people having a medium budget for Hackintosh, this laptop is worth considering. It's not only well-designed, it is engineered.

What is Hackintosh?

According to Wikipedia, Hackintosh is a name given to a non-Apple or generic PC/laptop which is made to run the Apple operating system. Although running Mac OS X on a normal PC or laptop is not supported by Apple but it is still possible by doing some tweaks. The very step is to check the compatibility of the laptop. You can't simply boot your laptop and install Mac OS, there are certain changes that you need to do in the BIOS setting in order to properly install Mac OS. Here's a guide from lifehacker that can help you out in installing Mac OS in a generic PC.

Why Hackintosh Over Apple?

When we asked people why they want a Hackintosh instead of an elegant Apple device their replies were exactly what we were expecting. The first and the foremost reason why people prefer to build a Hackintosh instead of buying an Apple computer is the expensive price tag of the Apple devices. Although Apple is trying hard to meet the price range of Windows laptop, still it is far away. Another reason why people love to build a Hackintosh is the freedom to choose the specs you love.

Why you should build a Hackintosh?

There are many reasons why you should build your own Mac or so-called Hackintosh. Some of them are mentioned below:

(a) Customization: You can build whatever you want. That's the most amazing benefit you get when building your own HackBook. You decide what you want to use not what Apple want you to use. With the power Customization, you can buy a laptop with any Graphics card, Storage capacity , and screen size.

(b) Affordability: That's the same point which we have already covered above. People love to build their own Mac because it's quite affordable and doesn't take away your hard earned money as Apple computers do. Buying your own laptop and installing the Mac OS in it makes it quite affordable.

(c) Upgradeability: With Hackintosh, you get the power to upgrade your system or laptop the way you want and the time you want to upgrade. You can always buy new parts easily and replace them. For example, if you are not sure about whether the 16 GB RAM is required or not. You can simply buy 8 GB and check if it works fine for you. If it doesn't you always have an option to upgrade.

Why you should not build a Hackintosh

Besides the reasons for building your own Mac, there are cons attached to everything. Below are some of the points about why you should not build your own Mac:

(a) Fragility: When it comes to building your own Mac or Hackintosh, you have to stay alert about all the OS updates from Apple. One wrong step in updating the OS can stop the functioning of your self-build Mac.

(b) Technical: In order to build your own HackBook, you need to be a technical person as it requires a lot of knowledge related to BIOS and other technical functions.

Final Words

So, this was our post about Hackintosh Laptops and all the pros and cons attached to building your own Mac. Let us know what you think about it in the comment section below. Also if you have any other query, you can reach out to us anytime. We'll be happy to help you 🙂

TCB Team is a group of smart people working for the development of authentic and highly researched content for TheConsumerBasket.com. We ensure that you get the best reviews and product info so that you can get the worth of every penny that you spend online.